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Pennsylvania teacher retirement system

PSERS pension guide

Legacy Class T-C/T-D/T-E/T-F defined-benefit classes plus the T-G and T-H hybrids, 10-year vesting and the 2%/2.5% multipliers.

New members since July 1, 2019 default to Class T-GT-G and T-H combine DB and DC componentsT-G DB vesting is generally 10 years
A cracked Liberty Bell and gold keystone beside PSERS membership-class nameplates

Complete topic cluster

20 guides, one connected system

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A PSERS retirement path branches by membership class into different age and service milestones.01

Eligibility

Pennsylvania PSERS Retirement Eligibility by Class

See PSERS normal retirement rules for Classes T-C through T-H, including age, service, Rule of 92, Rule of 97 and vesting thresholds.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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Salary blocks, a class multiplier gauge and service years combine into an annual PSERS pension amount.02

Benefit formula

PSERS Pension Formula: Multiplier, FAS and Service

Learn the PSERS DB formula by class, including 2.0%, 2.5%, 1.25% and 1.0% multipliers, three- vs five-year FAS and a worked example.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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An early retirement path reaches a smaller pension stack while a special service milestone reduces the penalty.03

Early retirement

PSERS Early Retirement Reduction: Standard and 55/25

See how PSERS reduces early DB pensions, including approximate 4%–7% annual standard reductions, special 55/25 rules and the T-G 57/25 milestone.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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A service path reaches separate DB and DC vesting checkpoints before branching toward deferred retirement or exit.04

Vesting

PSERS Vesting and Leaving Pennsylvania School Work

Learn PSERS DB and DC vesting rules, what happens when you leave before retirement, when an account can stay deferred and how required distributions work.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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A PSERS account splits toward a preserved pension, a cash refund and a tax-deferred rollover path.05

Refunds

PSERS Refund or Rollover After Leaving School Employment

Compare a PSERS DB refund with leaving a vested pension, and see DC rollover rules, PSRS-59, 20% withholding and automatic distributions by account size.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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A PSERS member benefit branches into protected beneficiary, survivor-income and hybrid DC account paths.06

Survivor benefits

PSERS Survivor and Death Benefits: DB and DC Rules

Learn PSERS death-benefit rules for vested and nonvested members, beneficiary elections, $10,000 DB thresholds and T-G/T-H DC accounts.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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A retiree pension path reaches a return-to-work gate with emergency, extracurricular, college and consultant branches.07

Working after retirement

Working After PSERS Retirement: Return-to-Service Rules

See when PSERS retirees can work for a Pennsylvania public school without freezing the pension, including shortage, extracurricular and consultant exceptions.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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Five service milestones lead through a medical-review gate to a protected PSERS disability-income path.08

Disability

PSERS Disability Retirement: Eligibility and Process

Learn PSERS disability retirement eligibility, the five-year service rule, active-member timing, medical review, earnings limits and DB vs DC treatment.

6 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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Verified prior-service blocks move through a PSERS cost gauge and are added to the DB service timeline before retirement.09

Service credit

Buying PSERS Service Credit: Costs, Types and Timing

See who can purchase Pennsylvania PSERS service credit, common service types, 90-day billing, 4% interest, full actuarial cost and retirement deadlines.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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PSERS and Social Security contribution tracks run together while an old WEP/GPO barrier is removed for other noncovered pensions.010

Social Security

PSERS and Social Security After WEP and GPO Repeal

Understand PSERS dual Social Security coverage, why the Pennsylvania pension usually was not a WEP/GPO trigger, and what the 2025 repeal changes.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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A PSERS retiree timeline passes a July 2001 eligibility gate and reaches a permanent COLA increase.011

COLA

PSERS COLA Rules: Who Gets the 2026 Increase

See who qualifies for the 2026 PSERS COLA, the 15%–24.5% schedule, July 1, 2001 cutoff, payment timing and why future COLAs require legislation.

8 min readUpdated October 2, 2026
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A PSERS retirement benefit passes through an Approved Domestic Relations Order and divides into member and former-spouse paths.012

Divorce

Dividing a PSERS Pension in Divorce: ADRO Rules

Learn how a PSERS pension is valued and divided in Pennsylvania divorce, why an Approved Domestic Relations Order is required and what dates PSERS needs.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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A PSERS monthly pension passes through a federal tax checkpoint while bypassing Pennsylvania state and local tax lanes.013

Taxes

PSERS Pension Taxes: Federal, Pennsylvania and 1099-R

See how PSERS monthly benefits are taxed federally, why Pennsylvania state and local income taxes do not apply, and how 1099-R and withholding work.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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Six PSERS membership-class lanes compare older defined-benefit classes with newer hybrid retirement classes.014

Plan tiers

PSERS Membership Classes T-C Through T-H Compared

Compare PSERS T-C, T-D, T-E, T-F, T-G and T-H by entry era, pension multiplier, FAS period, member contribution structure and hybrid status.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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A new PSERS member reaches a 90-day three-way choice between T-G hybrid, T-H hybrid and Class DC.015

Plan tiers

PSERS T-G vs T-H vs Class DC: 90-Day Choice

Compare PSERS Class T-G, T-H and Class DC for new members, including DB guarantees, DC contribution rates, vesting, disability coverage and the 90-day election.

7 min readUpdated September 2, 2026
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Six descending PSERS class nameplates on a teal ledge beneath a gold multiplier ring016

Membership tier

PA PSERS Membership Classes: T-C, T-D, T-E, T-F, T-G, T-H Compared

Pennsylvania PSERS has six main membership classes. Each has its own multiplier, contribution rate, vesting rule, and — for the newest classes — a defined-contribution side account. Here is how to tell which one you are in and what it pays.

5 min readUpdated September 9, 2026
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A gold bracket clasping the three tallest salary-year bars feeding a PSERS pension column017

Benefit formula

PA PSERS Final Average Salary: What Counts and How It Is Calculated

Final average salary is the salary figure the PSERS pension formula multiplies. Learn which three (or five) years PSERS uses, what earnings count, and the rules that stop late-career salary spikes.

4 min readUpdated September 9, 2026
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A level teal pension bar lifted one step by a gold legislative hand-crank018

COLA

PA PSERS COLA in 2026: Act 21, and Why Most Retirees Still Get No Automatic Raise

Pennsylvania PSERS has no automatic cost-of-living increase. Act 21 of 2026 granted a large COLA — but only to members who retired on or before July 1, 2001. Here is who qualifies and why everyone else is still waiting.

4 min readUpdated October 9, 2026
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Illustration of three PSERS membership class towers representing Class T-D, T-E, and T-F019

Membership classes

PSERS Class T-D vs. T-E vs. T-F: Multipliers, Rates, and Eligibility Compared

T-D pays a 2.5% multiplier at a 7.5% contribution rate with no shared risk. T-E and T-F swap that stability for shared-risk contributions (5.5%–9.5% and 8.3%–12.3%) and a later eligibility age. Here's the exact PSERS numbers side by side.

7 min readUpdated September 11, 2026
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Gold calculator outline with a Pennsylvania keystone shape on a coin stack, symbolizing the PSERS pension calculation walkthrough020

Benefit formula

How to Estimate Your PSERS Pension: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough by Class

PSERS uses a different benefit multiplier for each membership class, from 1.0% up to 2.5%. Here's the actual multiplier for each class and a fully worked example showing how much that difference matters.

6 min readUpdated September 12, 2026
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